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LL Cool J
Update: 2024-08-15
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Kevin sits down with hip-hop legend-turned-actor LL Cool J. They discuss his long-standing entertainment career, the evolution of Rock The Bells, and hip-hop's upcoming 50th anniversary.
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Transcript
00:00:00
And now, join Kevin Hart as he dives into the mind of some of your favorite celebrities.
00:00:07
This is Goldmides with Kevin Hart.
00:00:10
What up, world.
00:00:13
You already know what it is.
00:00:14
This is another episode of Goldmines and I don't have to tell you what we do because by now you know it.
00:00:18
That's right.
00:00:20
Right now, I hear you.
00:00:20
In your car, in your home, you're saying we get inside the mind of amazing individuals.
00:00:28
Why?
00:00:29
Well, because that's where the gold is.
00:00:31
And where do I give you the gold?
00:00:32
Here on Goldmines at today's show will be no different.
00:00:36
Goddamn it.
00:00:37
I'm excited.
00:00:38
I'm excited to talk to this person that I can call a brother or friend more important, a true legend into the game of entertainment.
00:00:46
See, you notice I said the game of entertainment because if you play the game correctly, you will unlock various different levels.
00:00:54
There's a lot of levels and there's only a certain amount of people that can unlock these levels that get to see the game through a different lens.
00:01:01
And this one here is a goat and a legend combined.
00:01:05
I'm gonna call him a good legend, a gold legend.
00:01:07
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm the man to miss the legend in the building today.
00:01:15
Mr.
00:01:16
LL Cool J, man.
00:01:17
I don't even feel comfortable calling you like the whole LL Cool J.
00:01:21
Do you still get it in length today or are your fans shorting it?
00:01:26
Are they going L?
00:01:27
Are they going cool?
00:01:28
Yeah, I think it's I think it's a lot of LL going on.
00:01:33
I mean, it's LL.
00:01:34
It's LL Cool J like, you know, it varies, but it's a lot of LL going on.
00:01:39
So I think right now it's today's time.
00:01:42
If you heard the full, oh my God, that's LL Cool J, you turn around differently.
00:01:48
You turn around differently because you turn around differently.
00:01:53
Do it first and foremost.
00:01:54
I want to say thank you.
00:01:55
Thank you for coming on gold minds.
00:01:57
There's so much that I feel we can talk about and that I want to talk about.
00:02:02
Before doing anything, I'm big one giving out flowers.
00:02:06
I'm big one on celebrating people today and not tomorrow when it's too late.
00:02:13
I believe that if you have an opportunity to tell people what you think, what you feel, more importantly just what inspires you or what motivates you through the work today.
00:02:23
You let them know in real time and you, man, what you've been able to do in the music industry after the music industry and acting and branding and staying true to the thing that you love while still broadening the horizons of possibilities have been unreal.
00:02:43
And as a guy who is expanding and trying my best to do as much as I can while I can, certain people that I look at that are doing it right and have done it right.
00:02:51
And you, you, my friend are one of those individuals.
00:02:55
My biggest question for you is now when you look back and you look at the history attached to your name.
00:03:02
Is there a chuckle or is there a mind-melting event that you have when you're alone?
00:03:07
Like, have you grasped the real scale in scope of where you now are and what you have been able to do in your life thus far?
00:03:16
Now back to goldmines with host Kevin Hart.
00:03:29
Well, so I answer to the question I mean, first, Kevin, glad to be here.
00:03:35
You know what I'm saying?
00:03:35
I love you, man.
00:03:36
To be honest with you, Kevin, I don't do a lot of reflecting on what I've accomplished because I'm too busy dreaming about what I can accomplish.
00:03:44
You know what I'm saying?
00:03:46
And I'm so busy envisioning the things that I want to do.
00:03:49
But when I do look back, it's with gratitude.
00:03:52
When I do look back, it's with I recognize how I threaded the needle.
00:03:58
You know what I'm saying?
00:04:00
How I was able to, you know, hustle between raindrops, so to speak, to take my career and my life to another level.
00:04:08
Because it didn't have to pan out the way it did.
00:04:11
You know, it could have definitely went left the right.
00:04:13
And, you know, there, but for the grace of God, go out.
00:04:15
You know what I'm saying?
00:04:16
I think God, I think that little kid who was aggressive and who was focused and who was determined to make something happen.
00:04:24
And I'm just grateful, you know what I'm saying?
00:04:27
But I also think it's important to not let your past hold your future hostage you know what I'm saying?
00:04:36
You know what I'm saying?
00:04:36
So while somebody may see me walk in a door and for one person, they may be purely thinking about history behind my mind.
00:04:46
My third eye is envisioning the future and all of the things that I'm building that they may not be aware of or haven't been exposed to yet or maybe there's just a seeds of something that they haven't quite grasped yet.
00:04:58
You know what I mean?
00:04:59
So I'm always thinking about how to build and maximize my potential so that you leave it all on the floor.
00:05:06
Where does that come from though?
00:05:07
You know, where it came from was two places.
00:05:11
My mother used to always tell me you could do anything you put your mind to.
00:05:14
My mother would say, Todd, you smart.
00:05:16
You could do anything you put your mind to.
00:05:18
My grandmother would say, if it tests, once we're gonna never leave it till it's done, be the only but greater smart to it while it's not at all.
00:05:25
And so that mantra, that programming, that my software was programmed to go after my dreams wholeheartedly and not to give up, you know what I'm saying?
00:05:36
And to consistently, if I have to make adjustments, but one way or another, I'm gonna get what it is that I want to accomplish.
00:05:43
I'm gonna make that happen.
00:05:44
So what was like right now, by the way, beautiful words from your grandmother, the mantra is fucking dope as hell.
00:05:51
I'm gonna steal it and I'm gonna say it was from my dad when I'm in the energy.
00:05:55
So you're gonna you're gonna go wait.
00:05:57
Kav, you're lying.
00:05:58
I said to you.
00:05:58
Say it was from, say it was from your brother.
00:06:01
It'd be more like bugged out, huh?
00:06:03
What?
00:06:03
My question now is it's like, you know, when you say you're a person that gives a hundred percent, right?
00:06:11
And that's it.
00:06:12
I feel like that's a talent that you develop.
00:06:15
It's also an asset that a lot of people want, but they don't have because that takes a lot of commitment that you're giving to something.
00:06:23
Like early on, were there things that you didn't really commit to that you have as that made you aware of what it was like to not give you all so that when you made the transition and to make a decision of what you were going to give you all in,
00:06:38
it was a big difference.
00:06:40
Like I didn't give my all in the world of school.
00:06:42
I know I didn't apply myself and give a hundred percent.
00:06:45
I know it's swimming because my mom made me do it.
00:06:48
I didn't give my all.
00:06:50
I know when I found a thing that I love that I wanted to do, it was like a light switch clicked on and it got a thousand percent of my attention, my commitment and nothing else was acceptable other than success and that thing.
00:07:02
For you, what were the things that you feel like you didn't give your all in the beginning that then that put you in a mindset of realizing what the difference in those things were?
00:07:12
For me, it was probably I didn't give my all in the beginning.
00:07:17
Probably relationships, friendships, things like that because I was a loner.
00:07:22
Okay.
00:07:22
I was the only child.
00:07:23
I was raised as the only child.
00:07:24
You know, those who are only children know like when you sit in that room, you just dream in your imagining dream and you grow up in a bubble where you don't necessarily seek out other human contact for fulfillment.
00:07:39
It's like a bogged out way to be but it's true.
00:07:42
So I was kind of raised, it's like being a solitary, you know?
00:07:45
So what I realized though, what I did realize though is that friendships do count and relationships do matter and given love and going to extra mile for people that you meet and taking a moment to care about the people you meet and actually being friendly and having love for the people you meet along the way,
00:08:07
the people in the industry, the people in entertainment and actually being willing to pick up the phone and make a call for somebody if they need some help, being willing to do those things.
00:08:17
Those are things that I didn't pay attention to as a youngster in the game because I didn't know any better.
00:08:23
Now, as a grown man as a mature man, I realized that I have to be there for people and just give that love because that's a part of us being human on this planet and it's actually a part of our God nature.
00:08:37
Well, it's a never one another.
00:08:39
I mean, it's one of the best qualities that some people can put on display, right?
00:08:44
You're talking about the importance of building the value and relationships that you never knew would come.
00:08:53
And like you said, it's the idea of a friend, it has multiple levels because a friend can become family, can become the brother, the sister,
00:09:03
the go-to, right?
00:09:04
Because that's something that you lean on.
00:09:07
I love your only child reference.
00:09:10
I love being aware of, you know, look, my mindset was one of self and only self, but because of the way I grew up.
00:09:17
So I was a loner to a certain degree and knowing that and realizing that at some point, I am going to need others.
00:09:24
I am going to need the help of others and the other support for your career choice.
00:09:29
Here's the crazy part.
00:09:31
You're solo artists, right?
00:09:32
Let me show you something though.
00:09:34
Let me show you something, but I'm only a solo artist because the guys that I was in the rap group with didn't believe me when I told them we had an opportunity to make a record.
00:09:44
Okay.
00:09:45
Explain that a little more in depth.
00:09:47
Like, first of all, who was the group?
00:09:49
What was the group?
00:09:50
I'm not going to say their names because I don't want to do that.
00:09:55
That wouldn't be fun.
00:09:57
That would not be fun.
00:09:59
The bloodbath on that guy would not be fun.
00:10:02
I got it.
00:10:04
I just say this.
00:10:05
I was in a group and we were hit.
00:10:09
We were all a group and it's like, yo, come on, check this out.
00:10:13
So, yo, let's make the demo.
00:10:14
Let's make the demo.
00:10:15
Oh, I got to do this.
00:10:16
I got to do that.
00:10:17
Okay.
00:10:18
So, I go make the demo by myself.
00:10:20
It's like with my man finesse.
00:10:22
Then it's like, oh, okay, yo, okay, the demo BST boys, the ad rock and the BST boys, here's it.
00:10:28
He let's regroup in here.
00:10:29
We want to start.
00:10:30
They want to do this.
00:10:32
Yo, come on, man.
00:10:33
Let's go.
00:10:33
Let's make a record.
00:10:34
Oh, come on, man.
00:10:35
You lying.
00:10:36
I don't believe you.
00:10:37
Oh, come on.
00:10:38
Stop lying.
00:10:38
Oh, well, I'm like, yo, telling you, all right.
00:10:42
So, I don't make the record.
00:10:44
Yeah.
00:10:45
Yeah.
00:10:46
Okay.
00:10:46
The rest of the story.
00:10:47
What does that look back like though?
00:10:50
Is that tap on a shoulder after the history presents itself.
00:10:53
One of, yo, we ready now and you go, well, hold on now.
00:10:57
Now it's too long to find that funny.
00:11:00
That's a no childhood hard for the money.
00:11:11
So now, okay.
00:11:14
All right.
00:11:15
So I like, I love where we are now.
00:11:16
I love where we are.
00:11:17
So this thing happens, right?
00:11:19
Let's, let's jump to let me just keep it on it.
00:11:21
Let me, let me, let me do it.
00:11:23
So real deal is that once I made my first song, I was off to the races.
00:11:26
It was over.
00:11:27
Yeah.
00:11:27
Yeah.
00:11:28
It was no, there was no come like tap on the shoulder.
00:11:31
I'm just, album, rock the bells.
00:11:33
Like I'm tall.
00:11:34
I'm, I need like, it's over.
00:11:36
Like I'm gone.
00:11:37
When did you?
00:11:38
The train has left the station.
00:11:39
When did you know that it was going to be music though?
00:11:41
When did you say to yourself?
00:11:43
Like, because just to your point of once you made the record, you knew you was off to the races.
00:11:48
Once we tap in to the world of music and success, the interview now takes another fucking, we, we've reached a new level and a conversation and we're off to the races there.
00:11:57
So before I get there, I want to know what, why music?
00:12:00
What, what is it that made you go?
00:12:02
You know what?
00:12:03
This is what it is for me.
00:12:04
And this is what it has to be because at that time, I mean, you're at the, you're at the fucking conversation of hip hop entry beginning.
00:12:13
Like you're, you're a part of hip hop royalty.
00:12:16
So to those that were rapping during this time, was it a choice because of the environment watching what was happening around you or what?
00:12:24
Like what is it that ignited that rap flame for you in the beginning?
00:12:28
So I became a fan of, you know, listening to the tapes and everything.
00:12:32
Cold-crust, fearless, treacherous, you know, all of these crash crew, all these artists, I'm 8, 9, 10, 11.
00:12:38
I start writing rhymes at 11, 12 years old, 12.
00:12:42
So I write my own rhymes.
00:12:44
Why was I attracted to it?
00:12:45
Because I had never heard young black men sound powerful before.
00:12:50
Every time I saw a black man on TV, they were like being handcuffed and put in a police car.
00:12:55
Or it was a bad story.
00:12:57
Or there was somebody that I couldn't relate to that was way far away somewhere.
00:13:02
But these guys were right there where I was from.
00:13:05
And they were dreaming big.
00:13:06
And the things that now seem like so braggadocio, the things that seem so cocky now because we put all the trappings, we add on the trappings and the success and the money and all that.
00:13:19
Back then, it was a dream.
00:13:21
So that bragging and that macho stick, it's just how pride was really about, I want to be somebody.
00:13:27
I want to be heard.
00:13:29
I don't want to be invisible.
00:13:31
To a certain extent, it was overcompensation for what wasn't happening for us in the community.
00:13:38
So to hear these guys, I got bodyguards, I got two, you know, man, I got, you know, they're talking all this stuff.
00:13:44
It made me feel like something like it was possible to make it.
00:13:48
I was inspired.
00:13:49
You know what I'm saying?
00:13:50
And that's why I love it so much.
00:13:53
And that's why I still do it.
00:13:54
And yeah, look, I'm doing well.
00:13:56
I got money.
00:13:57
I can travel.
00:13:58
All that's great.
00:14:00
But I love it because it inspired me to touch something in my soul.
00:14:04
Everything else, the awards, the whole of fame, the Grammy, all that stuff came after all of that was an effect of like the consequences of the choice to follow my inspiration.
00:14:16
What was the family's reaction to the decision for you to pursue music?
00:14:22
Was it was it so support off the back hesitation?
00:14:26
My mother was very supportive.
00:14:29
My grandmother was too faceded.
00:14:32
I love her too much.
00:14:34
So she's supporting me a little bit in my face, but they'll be telling my mother, you can't let them do that.
00:14:41
You know what I mean?
00:14:42
So you know how to have fun.
00:14:44
But my mother, I asked my mother because you know, when we started DeafJM, I was 16 years old, right?
00:14:49
I started rapping at eight.
00:14:50
My mother said to me, I asked her, I said, look, my, I was 16 when I started, you know, and I dropped out of school in the ninth grade to pursue because I got a contract with DeafJM and we had started the label.
00:15:03
I pursued it.
00:15:03
I asked my mother, why did you do that?
00:15:05
She said, because if you failed, I knew you were young enough to go back to school, but I wanted to give you the opportunity to pursue your dream.
00:15:12
Wow.
00:15:13
Wow.
00:15:13
And so for me, that was the moment.
00:15:17
You know, my mother trusted me enough and trusted my passion.
00:15:21
She sort of bright light in the little boys' eyes and the passion that he had put his hip-hop thing.
00:15:26
And she believed me.
00:15:28
And she trusted me, you know, at 12 years old, they would take me to the city to the Hall of Marmarie.
00:15:33
You know what I'm saying?
00:15:34
And I'm like going to my first concert, live, and I'm seeing all of these groups, the crass crew, and all these people.
00:15:40
And there's a big shootout at the Hall of Marmarie and showing just started, maybe two, three acts in.
00:15:45
And I jump over the barricade and I run under the stage and I'm like, I fucking love this.
00:15:51
I love this.
00:15:52
I loved it.
00:15:54
I felt like it drove me closer to the stage.
00:15:57
The shootout gave me an excuse to get closer to the stage.
00:16:01
I was worried about bullets.
00:16:03
I'm like, no, I can get to the stage.
00:16:05
I want to feel that.
00:16:07
I want to feel that.
00:16:08
I want to go and see how close I can get to that thing there.
00:16:12
I want to feel that.
00:16:13
I want to feel it.
00:16:14
So it's like the decision was one of a passion.
00:16:18
And mind you, I grew up in a house full of books.
00:16:21
Everybody reads.
00:16:22
I got math teachers in my family, detectives, sheriffs, all types of stuff.
00:16:27
My grandfather went to the Masonic lodge.
00:16:30
He didn't divulge anything but he lived his life a certain way.
00:16:33
My grandmother was friends with a lot of Eastern stars.
00:16:38
So there was a certain energy and a certain vibe around the house.
00:16:43
But an education was really important.
00:16:45
But my mother, she made the decision and let me go after it.
00:16:49
And I think it was a pretty good decision.
00:16:51
Well, not only to work out, but you can't just go past that.
00:16:55
You know, you got to take a moment to give moms the love that she deserves in this moment.
00:16:59
I mean, the support of a mother is unmatched.
00:17:02
More importantly, just the support of a household.
00:17:05
The idea of a dream is an idea.
00:17:07
But when you got the support of others to match your idea, it makes the dream much more of a reality to you.
00:17:14
Now, granted, everybody doesn't get that.
00:17:17
A lot of people don't come from an environment where they are supported in the thing that they choose or that they want to do.
00:17:23
So it's more of a personal struggle, personal fight.
00:17:26
And to those people, you know, we give you your flowers because that's a, that's a different path that you're taking.
00:17:32
But to have a mom from what he's talking about now, say, at this young age, your energy and your passion is enough for me to not only back support,
00:17:42
but to believe that's unreal.
00:17:44
That's unreal, man.
00:17:45
And that's a, you know, when you, when you look at you, when you say it worked out, you got the damn good reason of why.
00:17:52
You got a great understanding of why.
00:17:54
I know that what I'm going to do is going to work because mom know it's going to work.
00:17:59
That's a powerful fucking battery to having your back.
00:18:02
Let's fast forward now, too.
00:18:04
Okay, it's working.
00:18:05
Let's fast forward now to you not only hit the scene, but you hit the scene fucking, you know, with a sledgehammer and holy shit.
00:18:16
The idea of this individual now being in hip hop is like one that everybody has to pay attention to.
00:18:25
You take the fucking rap world by storm.
00:18:28
Success comes so fucking fast.
00:18:31
I want to know in the beginning stages, where were your mishaps?
00:18:36
Where did thing punch you in the fucking face?
00:18:39
Where does success punch you in the face?
00:18:42
What were the things that it was like, oh shit.
00:18:45
Yeah.
00:18:45
Yeah.
00:18:45
What were your hold up moments?
00:18:47
I like, I got to take three steps back to take another four steps forward.
00:18:52
Like what?
00:18:52
Because you're so young.
00:18:54
So what is it that you feel the older you now understands that you wish the younger you then would have understood?
00:19:02
Yeah, if I got to tell you, man, I mean, it's all good.
00:19:05
No, you know, it's funny.
00:19:07
What could I say?
00:19:08
Because like, I can see it in your face, too.
00:19:10
I just saw like I can literally see you looking back at that time in this moment.
00:19:16
And like the smile that you just gave is one of like dope reflection as a man.
00:19:21
Yeah, man.
00:19:22
You know, most of the time when people think about, oh, what do you regret?
00:19:26
Is it the one that got away?
00:19:27
Is it the dollar you didn't make?
00:19:29
Is it the investment you could have made?
00:19:31
Is it?
00:19:32
Well, if you think about it, like there's nothing I could ask for that I should have had then because I wouldn't have been able to handle it.
00:19:38
Yeah.
00:19:38
I couldn't handle then what I have now.
00:19:41
Yeah.
00:19:42
Yeah.
00:19:43
Yeah.
00:19:44
It just wouldn't be possible.
00:19:48
I would implode.
00:19:50
I had a hundred cars, bro.
00:19:53
Yeah.
00:19:53
Right now for no reason.
00:19:55
No reason at all.
00:19:56
That's for the 150.
00:19:58
But the reason you walk outside for you to go, that's my 100 right there.
00:20:03
Oh, yeah.
00:20:04
So when I think about, like, so everything kind of worked its way, the way it needed to.
00:20:11
I told you the only thing I thought about, the only thing that I think about is while I was being selfish for the right reasons, in other words,
00:20:21
put in my oxygen mask going first, then helping the person next to me because I always did that.
00:20:26
Was I two selfish with some people at some points?
00:20:32
Maybe.
00:20:32
Maybe it was a little unapproachable hearing then maybe.
00:20:36
You know what I'm saying?
00:20:39
It's possible.
00:20:39
I can say that I am not only I know where you are.
00:20:44
I can say that I have the same feeling of, I asked the question because it's a question that I've gotten is one that I've definitely pondered on.
00:20:54
But when you are as like them in the beginning, is there anything that you would change?
00:20:58
What would you do?
00:20:58
My take on it has always been, well, if I change anything, then it doesn't pan out the way that it did.
00:21:04
The way out there I am.
00:21:05
Yeah.
00:21:06
You can't fuck with a map and go back and change it on a map because then the roles get different.
00:21:12
And if you smooth it out here, then I mean it may get rough back here and I prefer to rough shit in the beginning so that the later side of it can smooth itself out.
00:21:23
But I'm big on experience.
00:21:25
I like the experience.
00:21:27
Good, bad, ugly.
00:21:28
Call it what you want.
00:21:29
I like the experience of a fucking moment that gives you an opportunity to hold on to a memory that you later talk about and you have these a-ha or these crazy stories.
00:21:43
And without a fucking life with some turmoil and turbulence, you don't have no stories to tell.
00:21:48
If we were to sit at the table, like I'm serious, like you don't, do you understand life without stories when you get older?
00:21:56
What the fuck is that?
00:21:58
Like that's what you said in the table care.
00:22:02
Yeah, what you're describing is the hero's journey, right?
00:22:03
And Luke Skywalker, he asked to swing over the pit of snakes and he asked to look like he's gonna hang off the cliff and he asked the, you know, roll down the hill before he saves the girl,
00:22:14
right?
00:22:14
Yeah, yeah.
00:22:15
Comes back home with the goal.
00:22:16
That's what you're describing.
00:22:18
He's talking about the hero's journey.
00:22:20
And we all, every individual lives their life.
00:22:23
They're living that hero's journey.
00:22:24
We all are running through those that site.
00:22:26
I love you.
00:22:27
You know, meeting the mentors, running into the devillans, dealing with power, all the great adventures that call to action, then, you know, you resist it, then you're pulled,
00:22:38
then you go out and do it, and then you come back home.
00:22:40
If you really follow your inner light, you come back home a hero and you able to help whoever's at home still wait.
00:22:47
I love that.
00:22:49
I love that, man.
00:22:49
The question is, do you know that you are the star of your movie in your life?
00:22:54
Do you know that you are the hero in your life?
00:22:57
It's a, it's a discovery for most because you don't get that until you're at a certain place of mental maturity.
00:23:06
And I really want the listeners to understand what I've just said, mental maturity.
00:23:09
It doesn't mean that you're at this crazy place of success.
00:23:12
You got to have the money.
00:23:13
You got to have also, no, what it means is that the journey, what he's referring to that you're on, it's your journey, you're the star of your story.
00:23:22
You're writing your book, you're controlling these chapters.
00:23:26
And ultimately, at the end of it, when you close that book, you get to put the pen down and fucking fold your arms and look back and kick your feet up.
00:23:35
That's your choice.
00:23:37
So you're navigating and operating and your own fucking, your own personal movie, whether you realize it or not.
00:23:46
And I love what he just said.
00:23:48
I love how he broke it down and basically attached the word hero to it because it's something that we don't realize we are.
00:23:56
And you honestly are.
00:23:58
You are at different levels and scales.
00:24:01
You can attach that to all.
00:24:03
I don't give a fuck if you're a teacher, a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, a musician, writer, photographer.
00:24:12
It doesn't matter in that regard of your choice.
00:24:15
You're the hero.
00:24:17
This is Goldmines hosted by Kevin Hart.
00:24:20
Now back to Goldmines with host Kevin Hart.
00:24:28
Here's what I'm going to give you a fucking hero moment.
00:24:35
As I look back at it because I'm pack everything.
00:24:38
I'm an analyzing fucking asshole.
00:24:41
I can sit and pick apart.
00:24:42
It's what I love to do the most.
00:24:44
When I look back and I look at hip hop and I look at the successful people in hip hop.
00:24:50
Now you look at the transitions who was able to transition like out of hip hop while staying true to hip hop to do more.
00:24:58
Well, let's get into the fucking world of being behind that camera.
00:25:02
And in front of the camera, you make the choice to step into acting, right?
00:25:06
Now, only do you make the choice to step into acting.
00:25:08
You get taken serious in acting.
00:25:10
You don't fucking just do it on one show.
00:25:13
I'm talking sitcom.
00:25:14
I'm talking movie movies back to fucking TV show.
00:25:19
I'm talking comedy drama, fucking romantic interest here.
00:25:24
I'm talking bad guy and movies over here.
00:25:27
Holy shit.
00:25:28
The same success that I was able to reach a music.
00:25:31
I'm able to reach in the fucking industry of acting.
00:25:34
That door gets open.
00:25:35
But you let the charge in making these other fucking artists that are partaking in music realize that there's a career here too.
00:25:45
Do you understand that?
00:25:48
Do you see that as well when you go in like you're looking back at where you are?
00:25:53
Yeah, I see it.
00:25:54
I see it.
00:25:55
Listen, you know, it's an interesting kind of like I just never was afraid to try new things.
00:26:01
What shows though?
00:26:02
And I was never uncomfortable with going after something that because it felt intuitively right to me.
00:26:09
It didn't matter if it was popular or not.
00:26:13
And it didn't matter if I got if it was accepted immediately.
00:26:17
If I felt intuitively it was the right move for me, I went after it.
00:26:23
And so when it comes to like doing the TV shows and the dramas and all of that, I just wanted to have fun.
00:26:31
I wanted to challenge myself.
00:26:33
I had 10 platinum albums in a row, a couple of Grammys.
00:26:36
I was doing that.
00:26:36
I said, let me challenge myself.
00:26:38
Let me see if I can do something else.
00:26:40
So I went and the next thing you know, I'm going to show we do 14 seasons.
00:26:44
I mean, what the fuck?
00:26:46
Okay.
00:26:46
What the fuck?
00:26:47
You know what I mean?
00:26:47
I'm like great.
00:26:49
It's in 205 countries to do 14 seasons.
00:26:52
It's fun.
00:26:52
And then it's like, you know what?
00:26:54
But now I look, I take a step back and I feel like hip-hop, they're commoditizing our culture a little bit now.
00:26:59
And I'm feeling like, wow, the timeless hip-hop artists and the people that initially started it, they need to get the same love and respect that Bono gets and Bruce Springsteen gets and Mick Jagger gets.
00:27:13
So I start rock the bells.
00:27:15
Which is amazing.
00:27:16
And the next thing you know, rock the bells that we're elevating is celebrating the culture at a huge level to the other day.
00:27:22
We're at NASDAQ ringing the opening bell.
00:27:24
Well, I mean, let's celebrate, you know, 50 years of hip-hop culture.
00:27:28
Let's break it down.
00:27:29
You know, let's break it down in depth so that the people can understand, right?
00:27:33
Like when you, first of all, before we get into the 50 years of hip-hop, because I know we're coming up on the actual date, let's break down rock the bells and the brand that you've created with rock the bells,
00:27:44
right?
00:27:44
Rock the bells for those who do not know is a brand item that allows a hip-hop artist of fucking the beginning times to the times of now basically collaborating the celebratory atmosphere in a festival-like fucking operation and a celebration of music and hip-hop that is now not just on a domestic level,
00:28:07
but is now on an international scale to where you guys are doing this and a recurring fucking cycle of real business with real opportunity to the point to where the brand is getting to the space where you have the attention of all and I think the opportunity to invest,
00:28:26
elevate, amplify for so many is going to continue to present itself because this can be on par with the Coachella conversation and said time and what I mean by that is the business that Coachella brings and the fucking people that gravitate towards because they know the artist coming there are the biggest and the best.
00:28:46
Rock the bells is matching the same fucking energy when it comes to hip-hop.
00:28:51
The best of hip-hop, the biggest of hip-hop, are participating in rock the bells, which is like the biggest should ever.
00:28:57
No, it's amazing and you know we connect brands to fans man.
00:29:01
We work with the biggest brands in the world connect them when they want to get connected to hip-hop culture and the meaningful way.
00:29:09
They come to work.
00:29:10
And we very selective about who we work with and how we work with them because we also want it to be win-win.
00:29:17
We also want to look out and make sure that the brands are taking care.
00:29:21
But it's the radio channel, you know, it's on Series XM, it's the content, it's the commerce, you know, we have licensed products, you know, and major distributors all over everywhere from Walmart to you name it all around the world,
00:29:34
you know, and then it's also, it's the experiences, the live experiences, the rock the bells crews, they sold out four days, we have that coming up, we have other events that we're launching that people will be hearing about very shortly and the festival as well.
00:29:49
So it's a combination of many things, but ultimately the important piece was that I made sure DJ Kool Herk had equity in one DMC had equity in assault and pepper had equity and made sure,
00:30:02
you know, Roxanne Shantae had equity and talked to M&M, he invested in what we're doing, he has equity.
00:30:08
And so it's really just a matter of putting something together that all of these artists can really benefit from.
00:30:16
I think it really get a real bite at the Apple one day and really participate in the economics that they created.
00:30:23
Now, that does not mean that what they did is any less important.
00:30:27
Remember, we don't talk about how much money Miles Davis had.
00:30:31
We just know that his music was impactful and amazing and he's an unbelievable artist.
00:30:37
So it doesn't matter to me whether an act was able to capture value because being able to monetize something or capture values a totally different skill set from artistic creation.
00:30:46
I don't know that the Wright brothers had as much money as Richard Branson, like or as much money as some people who create a Boeing, but they invented the airplane.
00:30:56
So it's not about that, but I didn't want to set something up so that artists could be in that position and experience some of the things that I've experienced financially and be able to take their careers in their lives to the next level and we're connecting with brands as well.
00:31:11
So you know, we even went to heartbeat weekend.
00:31:13
It was amazing.
00:31:14
We had a ball out there, you out there.
00:31:16
We worked together a little bit on the pool party stuff.
00:31:19
It was great.
00:31:20
So I love that the people listening get to hear you talk like this first of all, right?
00:31:24
Because this is a side to you that most may not know.
00:31:27
And the business acumen grows as the success grows.
00:31:31
And what once was just the hip-hop artist that then became the actor now as a guy that sits behind an ecosystem that is proven to provide and present real business that connects real people.
00:31:46
Like you just said, from experience to content to radio, to commerce, you're connecting dots.
00:31:52
And that's the idea of having a brand, building a brand, and standing behind a brand that can continue to grow.
00:32:00
And the alignment I know for us here at heartbeat, we were like, yeah, we're doing an experience.
00:32:05
We're doing the weekend.
00:32:06
Well, how do we make sure that we integrate or align ourselves with the other people that are doing things like this at the highest level?
00:32:13
So the relationship opportunity for rock the bells and heartbeat, not only does it present itself there, but it's like, okay, this is the early stages.
00:32:20
But then how do we do it bigger?
00:32:22
How do we do more?
00:32:23
How does one?
00:32:24
How does one plus one equal to?
00:32:25
And when you're talking about you going and making sure that you're taking care of those that were a part of the conversation of hip-hop, you want the successful opportunity, but you want people to understand that the real value comes within the commitment of elevating and growing the fucking entity.
00:32:42
And that's what you're doing, man.
00:32:44
And I told you, I'm an analyzing asshole.
00:32:46
I watch from afar, but I know what you're doing.
00:32:50
And I'm looking at the structure and the commitment that you're putting behind it and is dope to see.
00:32:56
Like, now we're talking about the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, 50 years, 50 years.
00:33:02
I think everybody wants to know what product, what product are you using?
00:33:06
Is it cocoa butter?
00:33:07
What do you, what the fuck, what are you using, man?
00:33:11
Whatever the fuck it is, you got to give, give the cheek out of this more like cocoa butter.
00:33:16
What can we expect for the 50th anniversary?
00:33:24
I mean, like, so first of all, you know, the tour, the tour is going to be amazing.
00:33:28
The fourth tour, I'm going on tour.
00:33:31
The Ruth Band will be behind me playing with me, with me on stage, DJ, Z-trip, DJ, Jazzy, Jeff.
00:33:39
And in every city we go to, right?
00:33:40
It'll be kind of like what we did on the Grammys.
00:33:43
In the sense that it's a non-stop party.
00:33:45
There are no set changes.
00:33:47
So when you see the LL Cool J tour coming to town, it's not that the tour is coming to town.
00:33:52
And like, you're going to go in, this one's going to perform, they stopped and then the no one performs as a break.
00:33:58
No, we are going on and on and on like a super group.
00:34:02
It's going to be like a mixtape on stage.
00:34:04
And we're just going to all be interacting and rocking.
00:34:07
And we're going to do it all night for a few hours.
00:34:09
And we're just going to blow the roof off.
00:34:11
No matter what city we go to, we're curing the lineup, special people in special cities.
00:34:16
And remember, we're doing it and approaching it like a super group.
00:34:20
So it's not like you should look at it and say, okay, that act and that act.
00:34:24
So, um, okay, but L with it.
00:34:26
No, it's all together.
00:34:28
Of course, love on the drums all night, the DJ chopping it up all night, artists coming in, artists going out.
00:34:34
We rocking that kind of a vibe.
00:34:36
I think what you guys did at the Grammys was was absolutely incredible.
00:34:39
I mean, it was one of the best, I don't even want to say one of, I think it was the best representation of hip hop that was ever attached to the Grammys, right?
00:34:46
And that can go on record.
00:34:48
What I love that you guys did was you told the story of hip hop through the duration of.
00:34:53
And I like that you took the time and show love to new artists.
00:34:56
Is it important for you or important to you to make sure that, Hey, you give the younger generation or the generation of now just flowers and support and knowing that there is no through line between what you guys didn't what they did.
00:35:13
It's important for hip hop and music to grow.
00:35:16
What is just stands there and how you expand and show that love to them.
00:35:21
I mean, we got to evolve.
00:35:22
I love new artists coming in doing new things.
00:35:25
It's all about innovation.
00:35:26
You know, even like with the tour, everything I'm doing rock the bus festival with the fourth tour, it's like, yo, I want the youngsters not only to participate, but I want to put them on to something new.
00:35:37
If you don't know them L.
00:35:38
L.
00:35:38
Cooj Records, then come on unless you're scared, come check out something new.
00:35:42
You know, come get on to some new vibes.
00:35:45
Maybe you'll be inspired to do something else towards that kind of a thing.
00:35:48
And me, I'm always open to working with young artists and embracing young artists.
00:35:54
I don't have nothing but love for hip hop culture in general.
00:36:00
And I just want people to just know that there's no separation.
00:36:04
There is no separation.
00:36:06
That shit is an illusion, man.
00:36:08
I love that.
00:36:09
That's an illusion.
00:36:11
That's an illusion that's designed to like to just it's just an illusion.
00:36:15
An illusion that's designed to divide.
00:36:17
It's one that's designed.
00:36:18
We can divide exactly.
00:36:20
We connected, baby.
00:36:22
And like, yo, yo, you 19, you 18, you 17 come through and hear something new.
00:36:27
It's all good.
00:36:28
It's one night out of your life.
00:36:30
Come through and hear something new.
00:36:31
You might know L.
00:36:32
L.
00:36:32
Cooj is an actor.
00:36:33
You may know L.
00:36:34
L.
00:36:34
Cooj is a host.
00:36:35
You may know me just as a famous guy.
00:36:37
Celebrity influence guy that you just know is famous.
00:36:40
Whatever you know me by come and see why I recently got where I'm at.
00:36:45
And let me put you on a some new shit.
00:36:47
Like it's really that simple.
00:36:49
You know, I'm saying come through you.
00:36:50
You know, I'm saying come with a couple of people.
00:36:53
Come in.
00:36:53
Check out.
00:36:54
Okay.
00:36:54
This is 50 years of hip hop.
00:36:56
This is original.
00:36:57
Okay.
00:36:57
Let me see what the original is about.
00:36:58
I love all of them.
00:36:59
I love how they get down.
00:37:00
I love how these artists over here get down.
00:37:03
I've seen all the current.
00:37:04
Let me see how y'all do come through.
00:37:07
So I know I would do that.
00:37:08
If I was 17, 18, especially if I knew that somebody actually was interested in me being there.
00:37:14
You know what I'm saying?
00:37:15
And that's the thing.
00:37:16
If you're interested in people being there, I think they'll be there.
00:37:20
So, you know, it'll be sold out.
00:37:22
It'll be amazing.
00:37:23
And I hope that with the sellouts, I hope that a lot of them are youngsters.
00:37:27
You know what I'm saying?
00:37:27
So they could get put onto some notes.
00:37:30
Well, dude, I want to say that these are the conversations that people need to hear.
00:37:35
These are the conversations that the generation of now and next.
00:37:41
So just be aware of, man.
00:37:43
And it's just one that I don't take for granted.
00:37:46
Oh, I can't say enough, man.
00:37:48
I'm a fucking friend, dude.
00:37:50
I'm a real supporter.
00:37:51
And I've watched what you have done.
00:37:54
And I'm watching what you're doing now.
00:37:56
And it's phenomenal to see.
00:37:58
And I love that you still got the energy.
00:38:00
I think it goes without saying, dude, I have such a high level of admiration and just respect attached to you, your journey, you know,
00:38:10
your trend setter, your an example of what to do in this business or what else can be done in this business.
00:38:16
And I don't take moments like this for granted, right?
00:38:19
Like you coming on and talking to me and having just an authentic organic conversation is valuable because this is what the generation of today needs.
00:38:28
They just need to hear.
00:38:29
They need to understand the road to success and the journey of success after it never ends.
00:38:35
You should stay committed.
00:38:37
You should stay excited about the thing that you chose to do.
00:38:41
And I love the energy that you have and the passion that you have towards what you do, man.
00:38:46
And that's motivating and inspiring.
00:38:49
And this is what goal minds is about.
00:38:51
It's about the gyms that come from these minds.
00:38:54
It's about the information that these minds are filled with.
00:38:57
And I hope that my listeners walked away today with fucking nuggets, a bunch of nuggets that you were able to put in your pocket.
00:39:05
Man, I thank you.
00:39:06
I thank you, man.
00:39:07
And and I'm going to thank 50 years of hip hop.
00:39:10
You, he'd like a vampire.
00:39:11
We ain't never going to know how old he is.
00:39:13
He ain't going to tell us, but the motherfuckers use it.
00:39:16
He's never gonna tell us.
00:39:20
That's one of the biggest it's one of the biggest things in black history that that is undefined.
00:39:25
It's up there with any other question, which is how old is LL cool J for real?
00:39:32
Nobody.
00:39:34
That's really question.
00:39:38
How young is that dude?
00:39:39
Cause he bouncing all over the place.
00:39:44
I love it.
00:39:45
I love you.
00:39:47
I appreciate you, man.
00:39:50
I thank you for this.
00:39:51
This was everything.
00:39:52
It was supposed to be plus more, man.
00:39:53
Hey, and I'm looking forward to doing more with rock the bells.
00:39:57
I'm looking forward to getting a room and collaborating more.
00:40:01
Your success is my success.
00:40:02
My success is your success.
00:40:04
It's about figuring out how much we can help and how much we can become a we and not just be me's like, that's the value of what we're doing.
00:40:11
I agree a thousand percent.
00:40:14
Well, I agree a thousand percent right back to you.
00:40:16
Well, that is it for this episode of the gold mind.
00:40:20
You already know what it is.
00:40:21
God damn it.
00:40:22
This is where you get gold.
00:40:23
Don't do anything different.
00:40:25
Come here.
00:40:25
Get the information and education that you desperately need, that you didn't know you should have, but you can get.
00:40:31
I appreciate you, man.
00:40:33
Love, love, love, man.
00:40:34
My God.
00:40:35
My God.
00:40:35
Peace and love, baby.
00:40:37
Thank you.
00:40:38
Appreciate you.
00:40:39
Appreciate you.
00:40:39
All right, peace.
00:40:40
Gold minds with Kevin Hart is a serious exam and laugh out loud radio production and executive produced by Kevin Hart, Mike Stein, Brian Smiley,
00:40:51
Eric Eddings, and Eric Wilde, produced by Danny Sellers, endlessly Guam, engineered by Danny Sellers.
00:41:08
[BLANK_AUDIO]
00:41:18
hi